Splice for wick ends and the like



R. T. PEARCE SPLICE FOR WICK' ENDS AND, THE LIKE Filed April 7, 1926 Richard Pearce,

p the burning thereof.

Patented 0a. 18, 1927.

1 UNITED STATES.

1,646,104 ATENT OFFICE.

RICHARD T. PEARCE, or oovrne'ro v, ENTiiTcKY.

SPLICE FOR WIGK ENDS AND THE LIKE.

Application filed April 7,

ing machines.

Another object is to provide a method for splicing candle wicking which may be employed both by the maker of said wiclrand also by the candle maker to the end that both manufacturers are enabled to avo1d waste of manufactured wicking and thus effect a considerable saving in money.

Another object isto provide a splice for 'wicking which is combustible and which may therefore be positioned 'within'the body of a candle without any derogatory effect upon Another b'ect is to provide a means and method for the purposes stated which may be employed and practiced by operators of candle making machinery whereby a considerable amount of time and labor is saved during the process of candle making,

Another object isto provide a means and method forthe purposes stated which will enable a manufacturer to assemble odds and ends of his manufactured stock in such a way as to be accepted by the trade on a par with whole units of said stock. These and other objects are attained by the means and method described herein and disclosed in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1,' is a cross sectional view of a machine candle mold having extending there through a section of wicking spliced by the means and method of my invention.

Fig. 2, is a perspective view of a steel sleeve forming a part of a piston through which thewicking passes. v

Fig. 3, isa, perspective view of a splicing element of my invention prior to its appli cation to wic'king. 1 x c Fig. 4," is a viewshowing two pieces of wicking joined by a splice of my invention and wherein the splice isconside'rably less in diameter than the wicking. I

Fig. 5, isa similar view showinga splice of substantially the same diameter as the wicking. r

i Fig. 6,isa cross sectional view online 66 of Fig. 4. 5 i i I Fig. 7, is a longitudinal cross section ofa' splice formed by the means and method of Imy invention. I n

1926; Serial No. 100,408.

The splicing meansand method of my i11 vention will be explained as relates to its use both by the manufacturer of candle wickln'g and by the manufacturer of both hand and machine made candles.

I In the manufacture of candle wicking, the

manufacturermarkets'his product to best advantage by prov ding spools of wlcking contammggagrvennumber of feet, for example, 300 feet-.- In themanufacture of this wicking a number of threads of wicking mater-ial' are twisted together to form-a single strand and a number of thesestrands, for example three or six are twisted or braided together to form a continuous length of wicking. When in the manufacture of wicking any of the individual spools of soft thread become exhaustedwhile other relatively full spools are still in the twisting or braiding machine anew spool is inserted and the end thereof is' grouped with the other threads comprising a. given strand and the machine continues to produce an unbroken length of wicking regardless of the occasional splicing in the threads of the strands or in'the strands of the wicking.

I It follows from this practice, however, that the length of wicking turned out bythe .loom or braiding machine will not-be uniform and that the manufacturer often finds the length of wicking upon the various spools to .vary from a few feet to a hundred feet or more. This market, however, because of the requirements of candle making machinery demands a practically uniform length of wicking per'spool; This demand is occasionedby the fact that a single machine may have a capacity for making as'manyas five hundred candles simultaneously and therefore would require an equal number of spools of wickingand that when one or more spools become exhausted it is necessary to stopthe anachine'and "replenish thewicking. In or'-' the odd lengths of wicking in order to provide spools containing the standard length which are then acceptable to the candle manufacturer. In the manufacture of machine made candles a large number of pistons such as '10, see Fig. 1, are employed. A single machine may have from three to five hundred of said pistons each having a steel sleeve or bushing 11 through which candle wicking is threaded and extends through the cylinder mold l3. Inasmuch as, it requires considerable time to thread an end of a spool of F wicking through each of the numerous piswick through the piston and sleeve.

tons 10 and sleeves 11, a great saving in time and labor can be had by employing the simple and rapid splicing of my invention. In other words by employing a splice which is less than the diameter of the wicking and one which will have no derogatory effect upon the burning of the finished produce, it is possible to take the end of the wicking on a depleted spool, then splice the end of the wicking on a wick of a new spool in less time than would be required to thread a new After the finished candles are discharged new lengths of wicking are unrolled from the spool and are drawn through the sleeve 11. For this reason it is essential that the splice be at least of the same diameter or less than the diameter of the wicking. V

The means for splicing together ends of candle wicking and the like consists of a sheet or strip of celluloid or other combustible material 14: of about {a to inch in width which may be passed about the two unfrayed abutting ends of wicking to form a collar for holding the ends together. The combustible material 14 employed is preferably of a specially prepared celluloid in order to attain the best results, however, any combustible material which is adaptable to be tightly clamped about the ends may be satisfactorily employed. The length of the strip is such that when formed into a collar theoutside diameter of said collar will be equal to or smaller than the normal diameter of the wicking. -When the wicking to be spliced is for use in candle making machines, it is essential that the diameter of the splice be not greater than the diameter of the wicking, in order that the spliced portion will pass through the steel sleeve 11 in the piston of the candle mold.

In order to splice together two unfrayed ends of wicking 12, a piece of celluloid such as lt is treated with a softening fluid and then passed about the wicking at the place where the ends abut, whereupon the parts are placed between a pair of suitable steel "dieswhich are then placed together and electrically heated for compressing the whole to a diameter substantially less than the normal diameter of wicking. When the heat and pressure are removed the celluloid 14 immediately hardens upon being subjected to normal atmospheric temperature and it retains its shape holding the two ends of wicking compressed and retaining them against separation.

The splice thus formed being of somewhat lesser diameter than the wicking will pass smoothly through the steel sleeve 11 of the candle mold. The splicing operation may be easily and rapidly performed and presents a perfect splice so that the wicking may be used for either hand or machine made candles. scribed splice very desirable over the formerly used method of fraying the ends of wicking to be joined and then sewing them together by hand.

The advantageous manner in which the manufacturer of candle wicking may employ the means and method of splicing on my invention has been previously described. The user of candle making machinery often finds that although he has secured spools This makes the herein decontaining substantially uniform lengths of wicking, or at least spools containing not less than a given minimum, the wicking may stretch somewhat more in some molds than in others wherefore the seriesof spools on a given machine will not become simultaneously depleted. The end of a new spool of wicking may be rapidly and conveniently spliced to'the last end of a depleted unit and the new spool replaced with the empty one so that it is not necessary for the operator to again thread the wicking through the piston 10 and sleeve 11. This enables the operator of candle making machines to effect a great saving in time and labor. It has been found that by initially loading the candle making machine with spools or bobbins containing substantially uniform lengths of wicking that when the first supply of wicking has been practically exvarious spools or bobbins may vary a few feet in length. These remaining portions of wicking are then removed from the bobbins and the ends thereof spliced by the means and method of my invention to new spools or bobbins and the varying excess amounts reeled onto new spools or bobbins which are then mounted on the machine. By following this procedure there is occasioned no waste of wicking and in addition thereto a great saving of time is effected, because the necessity for threading the wicking through the many pistons is eliminated.

\Vhat I claim is: e

1. The method of splicing together tWo unfrayed ends of candle wicking, comprising placing the said two ends of wicking in abutment, passing a split collar of combustible material about said ends, simultane ously molding the collar and compressing the wicking to a diameter substantiall less than the'normal diameter of the wicking.

'2. The method of splicing together two ends of candle wickingfor forming a com bustible splice comprising placing the two ends of candle Wicking in abutment, passing a thin sheet of combustible material about a the abutting ends of wicking whereby to encase the wicking for a distance on each side of the place of abutment, positioning .the parts in a mold and subjecting them to mitting the combustible material to cool, re- I moving the parts thus treated from the mold whereupon the combustible material be- 20 come hardened and retains the compressed ends of wickingin abutment and against separation.

3. A candle wick comprising a pair of wick sections having abutting ends and a combustible sleeve receiving, the abutting ends and compressing said ends, whereby the sleeve andjends attain a combined thickness not in excess of the normal diameter ofthe noncompressed wick sections.

4. A candle wick comprising a pair of wick sections having abutting ends and combustible means surrounding and compressing said ends for holding them together and providing a joint of a diameter not in excess of the normal diameter ofthe noncompressed wick sections.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name this 6th day of April,

RICHARD T. PEARCE. 

